Commercial log processors are available for cutting and delimbing trees, however, such devices are not suitable for use by a person, such as homeowner, for cutting trees into firewood because of both the size and cost of the log processors. Consequently, a homeowner may fell a tree and then remove the limbs from the tree to form the tree trunk into a length that can more easily be transported than a felled tree. The tree trunk is generally hauled to a site where the tree trunk is cut into suitable firewood lengths. In other cases a homeowner may fell a tree and use a chainsaw to cut the felled tree into firewood lengths while the trunk of the felled tree lies on the ground.
The concept of sawbucks for holding logs while the logs are cut into firewood lengths is known in the art. The typical log sawbuck has a frame that includes a cradle for supporting the log in a cutting position to enable the log to be conveniently cut into shorter firewood lengths. The sawbuck is a useful homeowner tool in that it holds a log off the ground, which makes it easier to cut the log into shorter lengths as well as it minimizes opportunities for the operator to accidentally contact the soil with the saw blade, which may not only be hazardous but also may dull the saw blade. An additional benefit of the sawbuck is that the use of the sawbuck can eliminate pinching or binding of the saw blade during the cutting process since a log can be supported such that the portions of the log being cut do not pinch the saw blade.
However, before a log can be placed in a conventional sawbuck the tree must be felled and the limbs of the tree removed from the tree trunk. Additionally, the tree trunk may need to be cut into shorter lengths that can be placed on the sawbuck for further processing. Thus the felling of the tree and the preparation of the tree for placement in the sawbuck has the disadvantage that it is oftentimes difficult to remove the limbs of the tree when the felled tree is laying on the ground since some of the limbs may bend and pinch the blade during an on site removal of the tree limbs. In still other cases the tree limbs may lie on the ground and the operator may accidentally contact the soil with the saw blade or axe as the tree limbs are cut off. In still other cases the tree limbs may protrude at angles that makes it difficult to cut the felled tree into firewood lengths. The present invention provides a field sawbuck that can be used by an operator, such as a homeowner, to support a felled tree in a position where the operator can conveniently cut off the tree limbs as well as cut the tree trunk into firewood lengths without concern for either the saw binding or the saw accidentally contacting the soil. The invention also eliminates the need to haul a tree trunk to a sawbuck and place the tree trunk in a sawbuck in order to cut the tree trunk into firewood lengths.